SEDONA, AZ
Today was my last day to hike in Sedona. I chose Boynton Canyon Trail because it has some cool caves and is also one of the four "vortex" points in Sedona, this one known for balanced energy.
AllTrails tells me this is a 6.1 mile out-and-back hike, rated moderate. No problem. I had read about the "subway caves" or "the keyhole" that are along this trail and I was super excited to see them!
I started the hike at 3:00 and checked out the little spur to the vortex.
There were a few people there, taking pictures, climbing rocks, picnicking. There was also a guy there handing out heart-shaped rocks, symbols of the earth's universal love, reminders that we are all part of a greater power that courses through the universe. Have I mentioned the new age vibe of Sedona? Or did you already figure that out?
The guy's name is Robert (I have to be honest, I was a little disappointed it wasn't something like Echo or Leaf...) and he proceeded to climb this butte (the site of the vortex) to play his flute, something he does around this time every day because that's how long it takes his melody to circle the earth. Now I'm not a math person, but my math tells me he isn't a math person either ...
One more pic from this spot because the red rocks and the blue sky are just too good to not share. Must be the balanced vortex energy ...
From here, it's an easy flat hike through trees (!) with that magnificent blue Arizona sky above and the mountains jutting out of the horizon before me. Isn't this crazy beautiful?
I finally made it to the end, clocking in at 3.5 miles, making this a 7 mile trip, not 6 like AllTrails promised. No problem. There was a couple there, taking a break on the rocks. I inquired about the caves. No caves here, they responded.
Here's a picture of me at the end of the trail. Notice: no caves.
I checked my AllTrails app. Yes, there are pictures of this cave, but no location marked on the trail map. Another couple arrived at the trail's end. I asked if they know where the Subway caves are. They had no idea what I was talking about.
I turned around and started hiking back to the parking lot, stopping three more couples along the way to ask each of them about the subway caves. They all had heard of them, but hadn't seen them. One couple turned around on the spot, saying they also thought the caves were at the end, but that it wasn't worth going to the end if there were no caves. Another couple had been told to look for some stacked rocks and some logs and that the caves were definitely on that side of the trail.
I kept venturing out "that" side of the trail every time I saw something that looked like a path. On my third attempt, I came across a family that had found the subway cave and confirmed I was on the right path. The problem is that the path kept forking and I apparently chose the wrong fork every time.
But FINALLY!!! I found the cave! Picture for proof:
To put this little cave-seeking journey into perspective, I spent 1.4 miles off the main path doing this:
Even though it took forever to find, and even though I still have a big scratch on my leg from trekking through paths that, turns out, weren't really paths, and even though it was definitely dusk by the time I got back to my car, it was well worth the sense of accomplishment to finally find that cave!
Bonus: the light from the setting sun on the rest of the hike back was perfect. Check out this view outside of the cave and how the sun is lights up the buttes in the background:
And how about this photo, where the rocky peaks and the clouds are literally glowing from the last of the day's light as the sun sets behind the mountains behind me:
One more ... see the sun reflecting yellow off the tops of these buttes?
Ok, I lied ... ONE more ...
Walking back, I couldn't get over how the entire canyon glowed as the sun set behind the mountains. There was no breeze. No people. No sounds. It was perfect and peaceful.
Well, perfect until I came across this little gem just before I got back to the trailhead, a little gem that apparently everyone had missed ...
The stacked rocks. The logs. And literally, the word "sub" written in the dirt ... WITH ARROWS (!!) ... directing everyone to the Subway Cave.
I literally laughed out loud when I saw it. Oh well, I wouldn't have felt nearly as adventurous or accomplished if I had seen it on my way in. :)
Total distance = 8.41 miles.
Elevation gain = 1,353 ft.
Sense of accomplishment = 100%.